Kappa
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Italian sportswear brand known for its Omini logo and tracksuits.
In 2024, a Myanmar court fined the owner and manager of a Yangon factory making Kappa's clothes for forcing workers into overtime.
Also worth knowing
Kappa hasn't put this right.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Kappa? Send a right of reply.
Compare Kappa with another brand
Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 4 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, clear breaches of labour conditions, a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries and a problem with pay, rights or safety with no fix shown. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it hasn't put right: labour rights breach, last recorded in 2024.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: labour rights breach, last recorded in 2024
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 4
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put rightShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 3 red flags that set it.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where Kappa makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Kappa products are made by independent 'sourcing centres' licensed by owner BasicNet, which publishes no factory list or country breakdown; 82% of its sourcing centre sales in 2024 were in Asia and Oceania. BasicNet asks suppliers to follow an ILO-based code of conduct and to switch sourcing centres every five years, but discloses no independent audit results or living wage commitment. Kappa is not covered by the Ethical Fashion Report and did not respond to questions about abuses at a Myanmar factory making its clothes.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Kappa did not respond to 2024-25 requests about forced overtime, withheld wage rises and union-busting at the Golden Colour Fashion factory in Myanmar. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Problem found | Myanmar Labour Ministry announced in August 2024 that a court fined the owner and manager of Golden Colour Fashion, then making Kappa and DeFacto, over forced overtime. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | In August 2024 a Myanmar court fined the owner and manager of Golden Colour Fashion, a Yangon factory making Kappa clothing, for forcing workers to do overtime without consent (Myanmar Labour News, 2024). Source · archived copy | NoKappa did not respond when the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre asked it about abuses at the factory (BHRRC, January 2025). |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Workers at Golden Colour Fashion in Myanmar reported in October 2024 that a promised wage rise was withheld, alongside pay cuts for missed days, restricted toilet access, illegal overtime and union-busting; Kappa did not respond (BHRRC, 2025). Source
- In 2014 Kappa-branded tags were linked to Hung Tak Garment in Cambodia, which the ILO's Better Factories Cambodia rated in its lowest compliance group for illegal wage deductions and unpaid leave (Cambodia Daily, 2014). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Kappa's non-response to allegations of abuses in Myanmar garment factories (BHRRC) · search the archive · Kappa did not respond to BHRRC request, January 2025
- Myanmar: Garment workers denied wage increase; incl. co. non-responses (BHRRC) · search the archive · October 2024 reports of withheld wage rise, union-busting and illegal overtime at Golden Colour Fashion
- BasicNet 2024 Annual Report (FinancialFilings) · search the archive · Sourcing centres: 82.3% of 2024 sales in Asia and Oceania; ILO-based code; orders rotate after five years; 1,092 employees
- Court fines Golden Colour Fashion owner and manager over forced overtime (Myanmar Labour News) · archived copy · Factory making Kappa/DeFacto; owner and manager fined in August 2024 for forced overtime
- Global brands linked to latest shamed garment factory (Cambodia Daily via ODC) · search the archive · Kappa tags linked to Hung Tak Garment, rated lowest compliance by Better Factories Cambodia
Published by Kappa or its owner
- Kappa Australia · search the archive · Operated by BasicNet; sells tees, hoodies, tracksuits, football kits, teamwear and sneakers for men, women and kids
Company details
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Employees
- About 1,100
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kappa ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kappa, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
Better-graded activewear
No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Kappa.